Improvement in flood-fences



JOSEPH LEICESTERWINES.

mprovement in Panarea N0. 119,23?, .Pmmdsw 19,1871.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN VFLOOD-FENCES'.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,211, dated September 19, 1871.

alb

the Construction of Portable Fences, of which.

the following is a specification:

My invention relates to an improvement in nood-fences, and it consists in combining awaterboardwith one or more panels of the fence, as hereinafter full y described, in such manneras that the movement of the water-board, when it is swung out by the force of the current, will operate to unhook and disconnect the adjacent panels, leaving them free to swing upon the hooks supporting their opposite ends.

Figure l is an elevation of one side of my improved fence. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the opposite side thereof. Fig. 3 is a top view of the same in the position of the view, Fig. 2.

The arrows in the several views indicate the direction of the iiow of water in case of a fiood.

. AA are the panels, made of five strips or rails of equal length, nailed to two end uprights or posts, W W, placed on different sides ofthe panel. The rails are made to project alternately at each end of the panel, beyond said uprights, as shown in the drawing. Hence, in each panel two rails extend beyond the post Wat one end and three at the other. The panels are all made exactly alike,

and in building a fence arebrought together at an angle, so that the projections of the rails shall interlock. B B are hooks secured to the rail or rails of each panel, over the post, at one end there of, and C O staples secured in the corresponding rails of that end of the next panel which is to interlock with the iirst. These hooks are of such length as that when the panels are properly interlocked they will readily hook into their appropriate staples, as shown in the drawing; M M are pins secured in the lower ends of the posts W W, and which iit into recesses in the ground blocks P. l? so as to fasten the same thereto. The fence,when set up with its panels properly brought together and fastened as described, is secured against the force of winds and other extraordinary strains by means of stakes D D, driven as frequently as may be found desirable into the ground, at the corners formed by the panels of the fence, these stakes being provided with hooks to engage staples in the panels and thus tie'and support them firmly. E is a water-board, ar-

ranged to prevent a destruction of the fence in case of sudden iioods upon lands subject to over. iiow. It is secured at one end., to the lower end of an upright rod or shaft, F, hinged to one of the panels, and its other end is left free to swing horizontally under the lower rail of the fence, the hinged upright forming its vertical axis, so that when this free end of the board swings out from under the fence it causes the upright to turn upon its hinges. Gr is a short arm or lever secured to the hinged upright F, near its upper end, so as to project horizontally therefrom. H is a rightangled lever secured upon the central rail of the panel, near one end thereof, so that the end of its horizontal arm shall terminate just below the staple in which the single hook B, used to secure this and the adjacent panel, falls. K is a wire connecting the upper end of the upright arm of the lever H with the end of the short arm G projecting from the hinged upright F.

The operation of this flood device, which I combine with my improved portable fence, is simple. When the water-board E is swung around by the 'pressure of the water iiowing under the fence (see dotted lines, Fig. 3) itv turns the upright F so that its short lever Gr will draw upon the wire K and cause it to retract the upper arm of the right angled lever H. The short arm of said lever will be thereby forced upward against the end of the hook B so as to push it out of its staple and thus disengage it. The hook B', by which the two panels are held together, being thus disengaged, the panels are left free to swing open upon the hooks coniining their opposite ends, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and thus allow free passage to the current and any drift wood, Src., iioating therein. When the current has ceased to iiow, the panels may be readily brought together and hooked again, and the water-board set for automatic operation, as described, all ready for another occasion.

It is evident lthat the right-angled lever may be adapted to disen gage simultaneously two hooks instead of one by forking its operative arm, and also that this automatic hood-board may be combined with many varieties of fencing, the panels whereof may be coupled by hooks.

The advantages of my improved portable fence, adapted as described, not only for uplands, but for bottom lands subject to overflow, may be brieiiy enumerated as follows, viz.: By the use of the hooks to couple the panels, and of the pins to contine the uprights or posts to their ground blocks, each panel constitutes, in fact, a gate swinging freely upon its hooks and pins as upon hinges, so that free passage may be obtained, if desired, through any part of the fence Without damage thereto, either for turning stock from one eld to another, for the passage of teams, or for other purposes. A combination of a Waterboard may be lnade with the hooks coupling any two panels to open the fence at any desired point in case of flood. The posts being supported upon ground-blocks are elevated above the soil, and are thus guarded against decay, and their connection to the blocks by means of pins not only rmly supports their base, but, in connection with an occasional stake, as shown at D in the drawing, makes my fence very firm and secure.

I claim as my invention- The swinging water-board E secured to the hinged upright F, carrying a projecting arm, G, in combination With a right-angled lever, H, and a connecting-rod or chain, K, and operating to disen gage from its staple a hook, B', coupling any two adjacent panels of a portable fence, all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

W'itness my hand to this specification.

JOSEPH LEICESTER WINES.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. BROWN, A. G. BROWN. 

